


Don't Take My Sunshine Away

by prince_celynne



Series: Soulmates [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, M/M, References to Depression, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, this is.... mildly angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-05 11:15:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14617247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prince_celynne/pseuds/prince_celynne
Summary: Lee Donghyuck would put the world on his shoulders if it meant Mark Lee could be happy. He would rather die than prevent Mark from happiness. Mark doesn't know how to express his feelings.





	Don't Take My Sunshine Away

Donghyuck had been in love with Mark for years. There was never one single event that made him realize it, he had just gradually fell for his childhood best friend. The clearest moment for Donghyuck had been his last year in middle school. Mark had come back to their middle school, just to wait for Donghyuck. The freshman looked crisp in his new uniform, the blazer still big for him to grow into. The butterflies had erupted at the sight of his lifelong friend, which had been happening more and more frequently. On the way home, Mark told him to follow, and took him down a path they had never gone before. As time went on, it became the only path they went. Donghyuck whined at Mark for the longer way, complaining about his aching back and chalking it up to old age. Mark ignored his complaints, but his eyes held mirth for the boy next to him. One look into Mark’s eyes had Donghyuck shutting up, a light pink taking over his cheeks. Mark asked if he had a fever, and put his hand atop his forehead. Donghyuck squawked out a protest, pushing away the elder, telling him to stop acting like his mother. Mark just rolled his eyes. The boys talked about their days on their trek home. Mark told him the story of a junior, Taeyong, who found his soulmate after them being best friends for three years. According to Mark, Taeyong caught sight of Jaehyun’s collarbone after putting him in a headlock for stealing his sandwich, only to see the blossoms of lilacs bright and prominent against his skin. Jaehyun had known since they met, as Taeyong wasn’t very conservative with his clothing choices and had worn a tank top when they met. Mark laughed and laughed at how oblivious Taeyong was to the entire situation, and Donghyuck’s stomach twisted uncomfortably. The younger forced a laugh out, and let a comfortable silence befall the two. Inside him laid turmoil, the sunflowers etched across his stomach burning at the story. 

He had seen Mark’s tattoo years ago. The boys in elementary school had been merciless, constantly teasing the elder for his broken Korean, but this time they had taken it too far. Donghyuck had found Mark in the bathroom sobbing, clad only in his underwear, and clothes in tatters at his feet. Even though he was much smaller, he held the boy against his chest, vowing to give the boys back tenfold of what they had done to his best friend (it lead to a week of suspension but Mark was never bothered again). Once Mark had calmed down, the two of them laid there, Mark shivering in Donghyuck’s arms. When shifting to gain warmth from his best friend, the unmistakable shape of Mark’s tattoo came to light. The hues of blue and orange formed together to make two primroses, stems intertwined at the bottom. Donghyuck had forced himself to keep breathing to not alert Mark. Those were their two favorite colors on Donghyuck’s favorite flower. He had suspected when two sunflowers, one orange and the other blue, had cropped up on his stomach. Mark always spoke of his love for sunflowers, how they seemed to glow in the sun. But now here was the undeniable proof; Mark and Donghyuck were soulmates. The younger ignored the pain in his chest, and focused on getting his best friend home, putting the secret he had learned that day to bed. 

As they reached the flower shop that Mark had been blabbering about after the silence, the younger stayed silent, letting his thoughts run wild. Donghyuck could understand how Jaehyun felt, his secret remaining within him for the last seven years. Mark, the sunlight in Donghyuck’s lonely existence, was never to know of his true feelings. Standing outside the flower shop, with Mark smiling up at him while holding a bouquet of primroses and sunflowers, Donghyuck locked the secret away in his heart. What was the worst that could happen?

The end of the third day of his sophomore year, Donghyuck had coughed up two sunflower petals. A shaky breath left his body as his mind raced a thousand miles an hour. The two had gone through Donghyuck’s transition into high school well, Mark introduced the younger to all the elder friends he had made. After the preliminary introductions and phone numbers being exchanged, all but Mark had realized Donghyuck’s feelings. They had two groupchats: one with Mark and one without for the elders to monitor Donghyuck. Donghyuck snatched his phone from its place on the bathroom counter and took a photo of the petals, sending it to the groupchat with the caption  _ help _ . Instantly, his phone buzzed with a call from Taeyong. He steadied himself before swiping to answer.

“Hyuckie, are you okay?” The first words out of Taeyong almost had a laugh bubble out of Donghyuck’s mouth. He couldn’t remember the last time he was okay. 

“Tae,” The rasp in his voice from coughing up the petals sounded harsh in the quiet bathroom. “I’m so scared.”

“I know kiddo, fuck, I’m so sorry. Ten and I will be there in a couple of minutes, don’t do anything until we get there, okay?” Taeyong pleaded, but Donghyuck didn’t understand why.

“Of course Tae, I’ll see you guys soon.”

“We all love you so much, Yuta, Winwin, Jaehyun, Johnny, Ten and I. Just hold on for a little bit longer,” Donghyuck nodded, not that it did much good since they were on the phone, but his mind had scattered into bits. “We’ll be there soon, I love you, Hyuckie.”

“I love you, too. I’ll see you in a bit.” He pressed the end button and sunk down to the floor of his bathroom. The clawing feeling, the feeling he was never good enough for anything in life, scratched and tore its way through Donghyuck’s body and mind. His vision started going blurry from the tears falling down and he was motionless, unable to move. The tears kept streaming and it wasn’t long before he was sobbing messily on the bathroom floor. His head hit the cabinet behind him, the soft thunk the only other noise besides gasping breaths. Inside his mind was havoc, and there was nothing he could do. The sound of loud banging on the front door was drowned out by his sobs. An overwhelming sense of patheticness overtook him, how could  _ anyone _ love him? Donghyuck began to choke, he thought was on his spit, until more petals came out. A swirl of blue and golden orange took over the color of the five petals. Even now, he couldn’t forget about Mark. His mind couldn’t even blame the elder, for it was his own doing to hide the news from him. Utterly defeated and lonely, he dropped his head between his thighs, the sobs coming out broken and rasped. The petals laid scattered around him. Someone knocked on the door, before slowly opening it. 

“Donghyuck?” Oh no. Oh no, no, no. The one person Donghyuck didn’t want to see this. His tears stopped streaming at the voice, and pure panic overtook his body.

“Fuck, Mark, don’t come in!” It was too late, the door was fully open, and there was Mark. He stood there silently, looking at the scene before him, before his eyes fell on the petals at Donghyuck’s feet.

“When you sent that picture in the groupchat,” Fuck, had Donghyuck sent it to the wrong one? “I couldn’t understand what was happening. But now I see,” Mark began to raise his t-shirt off of his head. Donghyuck couldn’t believe it, he’s having a breakdown and Mark is stripping? In what world did Mark ever think that was a good idea? Donghyuck stayed dumbstruck, as Mark lifted off his shirt. The tattoo on his stomach all those years ago had grown with him. The colors contrasted so well with Mark’s pale skin, the blue much harsher a contrast against the orange than Donghyuck’s. “Hyuckie, we’re soulmates.” Donghyuck sat on the floor, frozen to the spot, while Mark draped himself over the younger boy. He began to speak. “I had always hoped so, since we had met honestly. You were always so kind to me,”  _ Only ever to you _ , thought Donghyuck. “And helped me with my Korean. After you beat up those boys, I mean seriously, you got a  _ baseball bat _ , I knew you were the one for me. I’ve always been in love with you, I just never knew how to tell you. I could never check your tattoo, you always stay covered, even when swimming, how in the hell do you do that? But now with these petals,” Mark paused, and grabbed one that was perfectly half and half. “I know it. We’re soulmates. And I’m so sorry I made you suffer.” Mark pressed a gentle kiss into his forehead, and Donghyuck began to sob again. Mark rocked him back and forth, whispering apologies. But Donghyuck wasn’t having any of it.

“You stupid idiot! Fuck, Mark, I never,” He took a breath to steady himself, Mark rubbed his back in soothing circles. He looked his best friend,  _ soulmate _ , in the eye. “I’ve known for years.” The tears flooded his vision like a hurricane upon seeing the shocked look in Mark’s face. “I didn’t know how to tell you, I didn’t  _ want _ to tell you. You’re my sun, my moon, and all my stars, you always have been. You’re so radiant and amazing, your very soul is beautiful. And who was  _ I _ to be your match?” The younger slumped against the cabinets, body curling up protectively around himself. The two didn’t speak, Donghyuck’s sobs the only noise in the room. Mark started humming a song, one Donghyuck couldn’t place. The elder reached for him, pulling him by the shoulders against his chest. Donghyuck sat curled against Mark’s chest, the elder bracketing him with arms around his sides. Mark began to sing, his voice soothing against the ache in Donghyuck’s heart. The words were in English, making it difficult for him to fully understand. “Mark,” He started. The older boy nodded against his hair, kissing him on the crown of his head. “What is the song you’re singing?” 

“It’s called  _ You are My Sunshine _ . I thought it was fitting because you are my sunshine. Let me sing it in Korean for you,” And so he began. Donghyuck usually wasn’t one to cry to begin with, but the song had tears sliding quietly down his face. Mark ended, pressing a soft kiss against Donghyuck’s temple. “Donghyuck, I have always loved you. I always will love you. I am only able to be this strong because you’re by my side. So please, let me be your sunshine.” Mark’s voice hitched, and Donghyuck felt wet drops on the side of his head. Reaching out, he cradled the elder’s head in his hands, wiping the tears with his thumbs.

“You’ve always been my sunshine.” Leaning forward, the two rested their foreheads together. Mark took a shaky breath, the tear tracks fresh and damp, and he pressed his lips against Donghyuck’s. The flowers on Donghyuck’s stomach began to shift and move. The two boys broke apart, soft smiles overtaking both of their features. Donghyuck looked down, only to see Mark’s flowers had changed. Quickly pulling his shirt up, he watched as one of the sunflowers shifted into a primrose, before joining the other sunflower at the stem, the golden orange and blue melting into each other. Mark watched Donghyuck, the smile never leaving his face.

“So now after I’ve confessed my love to you after you almost dying, and  _ now _ I get to see your tattoo?” Mark teased. Donghyuck shoved at his shoulders before falling into the other boy’s arms. Mark’s phone began to ring insistently, probably the older members of their group panicking. But the two ignored it, for now at least. They would cross that river of nagging when they got to it. Donghyuck got on his knees in front of Mark, the older boy resting his hands on the hips of the other. Gently grabbing his face, he put them on eye-level.

“Mark Lee, I’m in love with you.” A wide smile broke out on the older’s face as he surged forward, putting his face into Donghyuck’s stomach. The younger laughed at his childish antics, but lovingly brushed his hair.

“Lee Donghyuck, I’m in love with you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello we meet again! I started listening to My Page (stan dreamies, stan talent!) and cranked out this fic because i'm in love with markhyuck and everything they stand for. this is one of the most ansgty things I've written, and I'm so sorry if this was triggering for anyone at all!!! if you have issues with depression and think no one loves you, remember I always will! please leave a kudos if you liked it and I always love reading your comments!!! until next time xx Prince


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